Adult Diapers May Diagnose Urinary Tract Infections

Anyone who has had a urinary tract infection (UTI) can tell you there is plenty of pain involved. The urge to go to the bathroom is often nearly constant and the discomfort during and after urination can be pretty tough to deal with.

Though painful, UTIs are sometimes harmless. But it's vital to have them treated in order to clear up the infection (and eliminate the discomfort). It's also important because an untreated UTI can lead to a more serious infection of the kidney.

The good thing (if there is one) about a UTI is that the symptoms are obvious quite quickly so for many people the infection can be remedied within a week.

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But not everyone is able to talk about their symptoms, including babies and young children. Another group with this issue are people with dementia who must often suffer in silence and risk the infection of the urinary tract spreading to the kidneys.

MedCity News reports on a company called Pixie Scientific that has created a special diaper that collects urine in order to have it analyzed for general health, but also for specific conditions like urinary tract infections and diabetes and nutritional health.

The contents of urine can be a mine of information about one's body, and a diaper like this (that has sensors, a cloud service and even a smart phone app!) is especially good for people who cannot speak or describe their own symptoms.

The diapers started out initially for babies and toddlers but are now available for people of all ages.

These adult diapers don't come cheap but aren't so expensive that they would be turned down by nursing facilities and hospitals.

A survey by Pixie Scientific showed that facilities were willing to spend an additional 50 percent on these diapers over the price of regular ones. But Pixie Scientific is happy with charging only an additional 25 percent, making it a win-win situation for both sides.

Any additional monies spent on these diapers would be saved by not having to perform additional lab tests later.

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.